


'twas beauty killed the beast

by FuturisticLoser



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Bullying, Character Death, Dragons, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Filming, Gen, Great Depression, Het and Slash, Human Sacrifice, Kidnapping, Love Triangles, M/M, Mild Blood, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Rescue Missions, Tragedy, Unrequited Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-02
Updated: 2013-11-03
Packaged: 2017-12-31 06:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1028289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuturisticLoser/pseuds/FuturisticLoser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The monster looked one last time into the human's dark green eyes before all life finally drained away and the offspring of lightning and death slipped from the top of the building and descended to the ground below.</p>
<p>The boy wailed.</p>
<p>*KING KONG AU*</p>
<p>(Tags will be added as the story continues)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, a King Kong AU. If you haven't watched the 2005 version, then you'll most likely be VERY confused. 
> 
> The majority of this will be in Hiccup's and Astrid's POV.
> 
> As for the pairings, Hiccup and Astrid do have a slight romance but it's not the main focus and only lasts for a few chapters. The Toothcup pairing is only one-sided as well since Toothless will fall in love, per se, with Hiccup but the feelings are not mutual. 
> 
> I guess that's it. Enjoy?

They were flying. Soaring through the clouds.

A boy clung to the beast below him, the wind stinging his eyes. He wanted to shout, to scream, to stop, but they couldn't, not now. The child tightened his hold on the beast's neck, burying his face into hard scales. He knew where they were heading, flying upwards to the highest peak that no man dared to climb.

He peeked up as he felt them slowing down, in front of him was an enormous building. It looked truly intimidating in the early morning. While he didn't want to be here, he knew that they had to, it was the only place they were safe, for now.

They landed with a loud clang on a thick edge and the boy quickly scurried off the beast. Though he hurriedly turned around and looked straight into the dragon's glowing green eyes. He wanted to cry; how did all of this happen? Wasn't it just a few weeks ago they were on that island? No, it couldn't be, it felt as if it was years ago.

He had no more time to ponder when the black dragon turned sharply, growling. The boy listened for a moment and could hear the sound of engines. He looked in the same direction too and his blood turned to ice; in just a few short moments, surrounding them were many airplanes. They flew in circles around the building, propellers all buzzing annoyingly. 

The beast shrieked in challenge, pushing the small human aside easily with his tail, then jumping into the air where he flapped to the very peak of the building and perched there, wrapping around a tall rod. The human looked up in horror, for it was a truly frightening sight. He feared an airplane would come after him as well, but he was nothing to them. The humans’ only target was the monster.

"No!" He cried and began to climb to the top as well, using the ladder made for construction workers. The black dragon above roared loudly, the cry echoing through the city and chilling all creatures.

After a moment, the machines dived in, aiming and shooting from their guns. The beast only snarled as he took the hits, swiping at them and shooting his blue fireballs. One took a hit from a bolt and plummeted to the ground.  
The human shuddered as he watched the broken metal disappear below. He pushed it aside though and quickly continued to climb. The black dragon couldn't take much more of this. The rising sun was hitting its scales, glittering against dark red blood. The sun only helped to make the dragon look as if it were glowing; the sight was both beautiful and terrifying.

The small human could do nothing, though. He tried as hard as he could to protect the weakening beast but the other humans paid him no heed. Their mission was to kill and no one was getting in their way.

He felt utterly useless and watched in anguish as the life slowly seeped from the beast’s eyes. The planes backed off, they could sense victory.  
Finally, one swooped in and released the killing blow, shooting a swarm of bullets into the dragon’s side. The beast shrieked loudly in pain before silencing. The monster looked one last time into the human's dark green eyes before all life finally drained away and the offspring of lightning and death itself slipped from the top of the building and descended to the ground below.

The boy wailed.


	2. Chapter 2

New York. 1933.

A tasteless town full of tasteless people. Here in this city where people of all sizes pushed into each other, always rushing someplace. Where cars filled the streets non-stop and jobs were scarce. Where the citizens didn't know what the word 'manners' meant.

A young boy paused in his work, stretching his limbs. He smiled as he gazed out the open window of the mechanics shop; the sunlight causing his hair to shine red, and his green eyes to sparkle. While he didn't exactly like this town, it was his home. Still, he felt trapped here, like there was something out there in the world calling for him...

"Hiccup."

Hiccup turned around in his seat at the voice and smiled slightly, "Gobber," He greeted his master in return. A huge man entered the room and glanced around before looking back at his apprentice, "Its yer break, ya know. Still workin'?" His tone of voice was only playfully scolding.

Hiccup shrugged, and turned back around to his desk where papers of drawings and pieces of metal were scattered everywhere.

Gobber limped forward, examining the work area before gently smacking him upside the head, "That little head of yers never stops workin’ does it?"

"Nope, and don't count on it to stop either," Hiccup returned, grinning and feeling fondness for this man before him. This man who was as close to a friend as Hiccup would ever have, one who actually showed patience, and treated him as a son. He cut off his thoughts there.

"Good, I need an apprentice who doesn't slack off, eh."

Hiccup snorted but decided not to comment.

Gobber was about to turn back and leave the boy in peace when something on the desk caught his eye. A book. Not Hiccup's sketch book, that was much thinner than this. He quickly reached over and picked it up, examined it -it was very thick and looked very old- then flipped it open.

Hiccup was dumbfounded for a moment before gasping and leaping for his book. "No! C'mon, give it back!"

The book was easily held out of reach though. "Whatcha hidin' in it, hm?"

"I'm not hiding anything!" His small hands grappled for the book, but to no avail. "It's none of your business anyway, just please give it back!"

Gobber ignored him and flipped through the pages, stunned. "A.. Viking book?" He glanced over at Hiccup who was frozen with a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Uh.. Yeah. See, now you know, can I have it back?"

Gobber continued to ignore him and flipped through more pages, "I didn't know yeh were interested in Vikings,"

"I'm.. not." Hiccup admitted quietly but Gobber didn't appear to hear and flipped through pictures of strong looking Vikings and dragons. Some where the Vikings were slicing the beast's heads off, or other gruesome content.

Then finally, he flipped to different pages. Pages that were new, clean, and weren't apart of the book at all but merely placed inside. He looked closely; they were pictures of a girl. She was simply beautiful, yet intimidating. Her long blonde hair tied into a braid, and deadly blue eyes stood out clearly. In every picture she was either standing proudly or carrying some sort of weapon. "Who's t'is then?" Gobber asked out loud without really paying attention. He looked down and read the words, ' _Astrid! The amazing dragon slayer!_ '

"Are you done invading my personal privacy now?" Hiccup asked scornfully and yanked the book out of Gobber's limp hands. He slammed it shut and hugged it closely to his chest, blushing a deep red. No one was supposed to ever know about the ancient book, let alone of his obsession with someone as famous as Astrid.

But instead of teasing or judging him, Gobber only appeared to be amused. "Astrid, huh? You mean that actress who portrays fake Vikings?"

Hiccup felt insulted and instantly protested, "It’s not fake! She’s an amazing actress too.”

Gobber only shook his head and turned away, heading out for real this time. "Lad, there’s hardly any pay in acting. Soon the amazing Astrid won't even have that title, or a job." He looked back over his shoulder to Hiccup who gazed sadly at the floor. "She can do anything, it'll be alright, I know it."

He suddenly became sheepish and looked pleadingly into the blonde’s eyes, "You won't tell anyone about this, will you?"

"Not a soul."

-/-

“Lights up.”

The lights instantly flood the room and the gigantic screen went black.

He looked up with wide eyes as the people in the room seemed to wake up from a deep sleep.

“This is it? This is what we get for our forty grand, Snotlout? Another one of your _safari_ pictures?”

“Yeah! You promised us romantic scenes with Astrid and Tuffnut!”

He scowled momentarily and rolled his eyes. “C’mon fellas, you know she doesn’t want to.”

“It’s not the principle of the thing, it’s the _money_.”

The biggest man in the room turned in his seat and glared, “You’ve been in production for over two months now, boy-”

“Trust me, the screen will be steamed up once we get on the ship.”

The redhead’s eyebrows rose, “What ship.”

Snotlout instantly realized his mistake. He bit at his fingers nervously, “The one we hired to get to the location!”

“What location?” He snarled in frustration, “Snotlout, you’re supposed to be shooting on the back-lot.”

He hurriedly pulled himself out of his seat and stepped down in front of the room. “Yes, I understand that, sir – but we’re not making that film anymore and I’ll tell you why! The story has changed. The script has been rewritten.” Dramatically, he whipped a tattered paper out of his jacket. “Life intervened! I’ve come into possession of a map.” His blue eyes shone with a rising and disturbing excitement. “The soul surviving record of an uncharted island, a place that was thought to exist only in myth...until now.”

Everyone held their breath.

"Whoa, Snotlout. Slow down."

"What are you trying to say?"

“Is he asking for more money?”

"He's trying to get us on a wild goose chase."

Snotlout quickly shook his head, "I'm talkin' about a primitive world... never before seen by man! The ruins of an entire civilization – the most spectacular thing you’ve ever seen!" There was an odd looking gleam in his eyes that made the others uneasy. “That’s where I’ll shoot my picture!”

"I don't really think this is such a smart idea." The others glanced around, mentally deciding.

"Fine." The biggest man boomed, causing everyone to jump. "Ready the men and ship! We sail tonight. God help you boy if this is a waste of my time."

He smirked and gave a salute, "You won't be disappointed, sir."

The man only grunted before leaving the room.

-/-

"I'm leaving, Hiccup." Those words echoed in Hiccup's ears as he stood outside of the locked up shop. He had come back from lunch, only to see Gobber closing down the place.

"W-What? Where on earth are you going?"

Gobber gazed at Hiccup with sympathy, knowing that this must be hard on the boy.

"I've got a mission, for uh, yer father."

Hiccup stiffened. "My...father?" His father hadn't talked to him in so long..

"Yeah, we're sailing tonight with a couple of other men."

"Well.. uh.. Wh-When will you be back?"

Gobber shrugged, he didn't seem too concerned with it. "Dunno yet."

Hiccup gazed at him solemnly for a long moment then rushed to Gobber and hugged him tightly, burying his face into the large man's chest. "You're all I've got," He muttered.

Gobber went tense and looked around, but no one spared the two men a glance. He awkwardly patted Hiccup on the head, "There, there lad… it's only for a short time."

He suddenly came up with an idea and pushed Hiccup gently away. The boy looked up at him with bright eyes and a lachrymose expression.

"Ask yer father if you can come along!"

Hiccup blinked before rolling his eyes, "Yeah right, he won't let me put one foot on that ship."

"I'll talk ta him, how 'bout that?" Gobber offered him a smile. It took a minute before Hiccup slowly smiled back, "Sure."

What was there to lose?

-/-

Hiccup shivered as he wrapped his brown jacket tighter around his body. It was going to snow soon.. The fact it was night didn't help at all either.

He continued to walk down the street, used to people shoving into him.

Gobber had left earlier, to talk to his father... Hiccup shivered again that had nothing to do with the cold. He already knew what his dad was going to say, no matter how hard Gobber tried to persuade him. Stoick never really cared for Hiccup, even when his mom was still alive, he always treated him as an outcast. As a stranger. It didn't help that Stoick locked up even more after her death, he ignored Hiccup more and more until it seemed that they weren't even related. It was a miracle he started working for Gobber who had become his substitute parent. Working at the mechanics shop helped get his mind off of life and it was something that Hiccup was actually good at.

He sighed and looked up when he came to a fruit stand. His stomach growled. Oh man... he hadn't eaten since noon...

He quickly reached into his pockets for change and cursed when he found them empty. Of course Gobber hadn’t paid him a long while.

Sighing again, he gazed at an apple longingly, nearly drooling. The stand owner shot him an odd look before turning around to another customer.

The man wasn't looking. C'mon, take it, he won't notice...

Hiccup looked frantically between the owner and apple before casually walking forward and  grabbing the fruit. Without looking back, he started to stalk away and slipping the apple into his coat pocket.

"HEY!"

Hiccup was jostled as the man quickly gripped his arm, yanking him backwards. "You gonna pay for this?" The man sneered, tightening his hold on the boy's arm.

Hiccup glared back fearfully at being caught. He would not let go of the apple though and started to struggle, "Let me go!"

The stall owner growled and began to twist his arm- "Hiccup?"

Both men froze and turned to the sound. Hiccup's eyes widened, "Snotlout?"

Snotlout took in the scene before grinning, amused. "Here," he said and handed the owner a coin. The man glanced suspiciously between them before violently taking the coin and turning away, grumbling.

Hiccup stood, astonished. His cousin actually did something nice for him for once. Green eyes narrowed as he looked up at Snotlout, "Why?"

But his cousin only shook a hand, dismissing the subject, "Who cares? Anyway, I've been looking for you."

He blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Looking for me?"

"Yeah, c'mon, let's go somewhere to talk."

 

The food Snotlout had bought for Hiccup disappeared quickly. They were sitting in a tiny, cozy diner and the other had actually bought him dinner! The second the plate was set in front of him, Hiccup unashamedly dug in, practically breathing in the food.

Snotlout merely watched with a cocked eyebrow. "You should slow down, ya know."

Hiccup paused and set the fork down, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Why are you doing this? It's not like you."

"Like I said earlier, I've been lookin’ for you. Your dad.." Hiccup froze. "Is leaving.. Well, uh, we're leaving." He seemed to be struggling for the right words, "The point is your dad wanted me to talk to you."

"Oh, really? About?" Hiccup urged before taking another bite of food.

"Don't play dumb. You know. He and Gobber had a little chat earlier and shockingly, your dad is letting you come along for the ride tonight."

Hiccup didn't notice the way his cousin's voice darkened, he quickly stared in complete bewilderment, gulping down the un-chewed food in his mouth. "D-Dad said I can come? With you guys?"

"Uh, yeah. That's what I said."

The shorter boy quickly hopped out of his seat, "Seriously? This isn't some kind of sick prank? I can really come?"

Snotlout rolled his eyes, "Yes." he stressed before glancing around the room, "Sit down, people are starting to stare."

Hiccup plopped back in his chair, eyes pinned intently on the man sitting in from of him, "What made him change his mind?"

Snotlout shrugged, "Hell if I know. All I know is you have permission to come. But listen," His blue eyes glared deeply into Hiccup's "I want you to know if you slow us down, you'll pay for it." His huge hand curled into a fist, and he raised it threateningly at the small brunette.

"That's great! Yes!" Hiccup cheered, not even listening to his cousin anymore.

 

Both got out of their seats and headed for the door, one with a huge goofy smile planted on his face, the other looking mildly irritated.

"Yeah, great. Just don't embarrass me, 'kay? Better yet, stay as far away from me as you can when we get aboard. Can you imagine what Astrid would think if she saw you next to me, ugh…"

Hiccup's eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks at the word _Astrid._

It took a moment for Snotlout to realize his cousin wasn't walking beside him anymore. He turned around to find Hiccup staring at him, looking like an idiot, gawking in the middle of the sidewalk. "What?" He asked impatiently.

"Did you say...Astrid? Astrid's coming too?"

Snotlout gave him a weird look, "Yeah," he chuckled slightly, "’Course she is. We're shooting a film, she's the most important person there! Well, except for me and your dad of course."

A film? They were shooting a film? "Whoa! Whoa! You did not say anything about making a film!"

Snotlout's weird look deepened, "Oh yeah, sorry, guess I forgot." He snorted, acting like it was all just a joke. "I thought it would be kinda obvious, actually."

Hiccup snorted back humorlessly. "No, this changes everything. I don’t wanna make a film."

At these words, Snotlout's face lost all humor, and he glared sternly at his small cousin. "You're going. Your father said. Don't get me wrong, I would love for you to stay behind, but it's already been decided." He tried to smirk, but it looked more like a sneer. "What are you, a wimp?"

Hiccup bristled, bringing himself to his full height, ignoring the fact he was still shorter than his cousin. "I'm no coward."

"Then why so scared to come along, huh?"

“I’m not scared. What is there to be afraid of, anyway? Film making just isn’t my thing.”

He looked back up at Snotlout and paused when he caught something in his eyes. An emotion mixed with the others was pity. Disappointment. The same look was given by everyone else he knew. Anger flooded his chest, he didn't want their pity. He didn't need it at all.

However, Astrid was going to be on the journey too.. His heart skipped a beat at the thought. The famous Astrid was going to be on that ship. With him for a very long time. Oh god, he could actually talk to her, see her in person instead of gazing at cheap photos. They could get to know each other!

He decided.

"No."

"No?" Snotlout repeated, surprised.

"I'm going on this journey too."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short but it was a good place to end it.

Hiccup blinked at all the men scattering about; Most if not all were transporting cargo onto the huge metal ship. "Keep up." Snotlout grunted behind his shoulder, sparing him a short glance. He nodded briskly and quickened his pace to match his longer-legged cousin. Up ahead, he could see Gobber and –Hiccup's heart clenched- his father. Luckily, the burly man hadn't noticed him yet.

What was he even going to say when-

"Oh! Snotlout! Oh, it's bad! Very bad!" One of the biggest boys Hiccup had ever seen in his life came waddling over quickly. "We-we need to get going! A storm is heading our way!"

His cousin's look of confusion morphed into anger. "What? In the direction we're sailing?"

"No, no. But, we need to get going fast or it'll swallow us up!"

Snotlout nodded and raised his bulky arm in Stoick's direction. Oh no.

"Stoick! Well, er, _sir_ \- Cast off! Hoist up the mainsail, raise the anchor, whatever the hell it is you do – we gotta leave now."

Both older men turned at the commands and their eyebrows lifted as they caught sight of Hiccup.

"And why, might I ask, should I do that?" Stoick asked in a cool tone. Even though he spoke to Snotlout, his eyes stayed locked onto his son, who squirmed under the attention.

The tubby boy from earlier spoke up, "Big storm comin’, uh sir!"

His father finally looked upwards to the dark sky and rubbed at his red beard thoughtfully. "Righ'… Set sail!" He bellowed out to the men, "We head for Helheim's Gate!" He and Gobber shared a look before turning away. Snotlout trailing close behind. Hiccup was set on following when the boy spoke up again. "Uh, hi, I don't believe we've met before."

Hiccup turned slowly to look up at the other.

"I'm Fishlegs. Snotlout's assistant." Fishlegs smiled awkwardly - he had short blonde hair and a natural rosy tint to his cheeks. "If there's anything you need," He turned and started to waddle up the plank onto the ship. "Just be sure, to uh, ask…" Fishlegs gave him a confused look, seeing as how Hiccup didn't follow.

Green eyes roamed up the boat. Did he really want to go on this journey?

But…

With determination, Hiccup stepped onto the walkway. He was going to prove himself, dammit.

No backing out now.

-/-

"Dad."

The huge man halted in his tracks, turning slowly to face him. "Son." He returned, oddly avoiding eye contact. They stood in awkward silence – only the sounds of the boat rocking and crashing waves surrounded them.

"Why am I on this trip, dad?" Hiccup cut to the chase, clenching his fingers. Stoick sighed deeply and rubbed his meaty hands together. "I'm givin ye a chance, son. Gobber convinced me."

Hiccup shook his head in amusement. Of course Gobber would…

His father dropped his hands and gave him a stern look. "All you gotta do Hiccup is take orders and listen. Don't let me down."

He swallowed hard and nodded, "I won't."

He would make him proud.

-/-

By the next morning, Hiccup couldn't fathom how anyone could live on this boat for more than 24 hours; the constant rocking caused his stomach to ache deeply. He groaned and toppled out of the small cot, nearly falling over as he tried to gain balance on his feet.

"What a wonderful way to start the day."

Passing the mirror, he spared a glance before halting in his tracks.

Today, he would be meeting the rest of the crew.

Today, he would be meeting Astrid. His heartbeat doubled.

Surely, they would interact. There was nothing else on this ship to do BUT interact with others.

He quickly backtracked, his reflection staring groggily back. He smoothed his hair down, rubbing the gunk out of his eyes. With one hand, he checked his breath and grimaced. Okay, brush teeth first THEN meet Astrid. With that in mind, he made his way to the ship's restrooms.

-/-

The first thing that came to mind after he finished cleaning up was: Okay, now where is everyone?

Hiccup didn't even know the layout of the ship well. He hadn't exactly been given the grand tour last night before Fishlegs and Snotlout abandoned him.

10 minutes later, he was still wandering the halls and bumping into a few men. Even asking for directions, they gave him the stink eye and pointedly ignored him. Just great.

Eventually, he found a hallway where a bright-lit room could be seen. Stepping closer, he could hear faint voices. Finally!

"…I don't care, Ruffnut. Just make it work."

Hiccup stumbled through the doorway, grinning awkwardly when he caught sight of Snotlout standing in the corner.

"Hiccup! Come on in and meet the gang! You've met Fishlegs, 'course."

He glanced over at Fishlegs who was sitting at the table and absorbed in a thick book.

"And Tuffnut."

A long-haired blonde raised his hand with a cocky smile, "Yo."

Hiccup nodded his head as he caught sight of another blonde sitting close by-

A girl. Oh.

Oh god. It was _her_.

His green eyes widened, body going still.

It was Astrid.

"And I don't think you've met…" Snotlout's voice paused in hesitation. "Uh, Hiccup?"

"It's okay. I know who this is..." Hiccup heard himself saying.

The girl looked up in confusion, glancing around quickly before raising an eyebrow at him.

"Thrilled to meet you. It's an honor to be a part of this." Trembling slightly, he reached over and grabbed her hand, shaking it. She stood up slowly, still confused and a little creeped out.

"Uh, gee, thanks…?"

Something didn't seem right with Astrid's face. Her chin was too thin and sharp. Her blonde hair a different shade. But, the other was the only girl he had seen on this entire ship. If she wasn't Astrid, who else could she be?

"I-I admire everything about you. You're such a talented actress, really."

She grinned smugly after a moment, and Hiccup swore he saw that smile somewhere before just recently...

"Now, if you don't mind me saying Astrid, but you don't look anything like your photograph."

The grin fell abruptly from her face, replaced with a scowl. "Yeah, thanks." She plopped down in her chair, elbowing Tuffnut in the ribs as the boy chortled. They looked very similar... siblings maybe? Astrid had a brother?

"Wait a minute, Hiccup-"

He turned to the other brunette briefly, "So much younger in person and a little less good-looking." Hiccup whispered sidelong to his cousin.

"Dude, no. Stop. Stop right there..."

Hiccup smiled and spun back to the blonde who was glaring away at the opposite wall. "See, I thought you were one of those self-obsessed literary types,"

"Look, I'm not-"

"Y'know, those tweedy twerps with their head up their-"

A loud bang near his feet made him flinch reflexively. He slowly turned to see a beautiful blonde girl, standing only a few inches taller than him. Her eyes were burning sapphires as she glared daggers into his skull. Deadly and exotic. Now, he could see the cause of the bang was a huge axe she had slammed into the ground. _Who the hell casually carried an axe that large with them?_

He knew who she was the instant he caught sight of her.

His insides knotted themselves together and dropped. He stared back in mortification as she smiled sharply.

"It's nice to meet you too, Hiccup."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup/Astrid bonding. I'm aware that it was fast-paced and believe me, I would draw it out if this was another fic.   
> But, I'm just following the movie and Ann and Jack didn't have a lot of bonding either.

The next couple of days passed by slowly. It wasn't like there was much to do with 30 or so men in the middle of sea. Hiccup wasn't even sure where most people disappeared to, which was sad seeing as the boat wasn't that large. Some days, men would gather out on deck and sing and dance. Most days, they all huddled together in a room down under and talk for hours... or whatever they did down there, Hiccup didn't know.

Stretching cat-like, he yawned and decided to take a quick shower before going to sleep.

Thank god they had hot water.

He slipped off his shirt and socks, swinging a towel around his shoulders. The showers had cheap soap and other contents. Thank god for that as well, because Hiccup forgot to pack anything but clothes in his hurry to get on the trip.

As he walked down the narrow hallways to his destination, he looked up at the sound of heavy footsteps to see a young man, older than him and definitely bigger, heading his way. The hallways were too small for them not to touch, so as the bulky man came nearer –with the aura that he hated the world and boy did he have the glare to prove it- Hiccup pressed himself up against the wall to let him pass. Before he could comprehend anything, a beefy hand gripped his shoulder and he had his face slammed into the wooden floor.

"Watch it, brat."

Hiccup shook his head to clear the stars from his vision, slightly dazed and glanced behind to see the other already stalking away.

"Yeah, great, nice manners…" He huffed and grabbed his discarded towel, picking himself up on his knees.

Better just get this night over with he thought as he stood and quickened his pace to the showers.

Just one more turn and he could- A sharp rock of the boat caused him to yelp, lose his footing and ram into the wall.

"Thank you. I just needed another bruise on my face, huh?"

A low, silent chuckle replied. 

Hiccup glanced up to see- Astrid. Oh.

His eyes widened and he immediately noticed that a fluffy robe was wrapped around her, and her hair looked damp as it curtained down her back, rather than in a usual braid. She had just gotten back from her own shower then.

Right after, he noted that she stood perfectly straight, not thrown off at all from the boat's rock. She eyed him coolly in return.

"Good legs," Hiccup commented with a smile.

She raised an eyebrow, giving him a weird look. It took a few moments for Hiccup to fully aware what he just said.

Oh… Probably should've worded that better.

"Sea-legs. I, uh, mean sea-legs. Ya know, sea-legs? Heh." Cheeks flushed, Hiccup wiggled his arms back and forth to emphasize his point.

Astrid shook her head, glancing away momentarily. "Alright…? Now, would you get out of my way?"

With a start, the brunette realized he was standing in the middle of the hall, effectively blocking her. "Right! Right! Sorry! Go ahead."

As she passed slowly by, her scent filled his nostrils; she smelled of flowers, trees and just… earthy. Hiccup inhaled sharply and quietly, near sighing in contentment. Out in the middle of the ocean and living in the city meant he hadn't smelt anything nature related in so long. She opened a door just where he'd tripped. He hadn't known her room was so close by...

Astrid paused in the entryway and turned to study him again, "Hiccup?"

"Huh?"

"You don't have to be so nervous, you know."

He blinked, "What?"

"I can read body language well and I can tell you're definitely not calm here. Look, I don't know why your father brought you along but I'm just saying…" She brushed her bangs behind an ear and shrugged. "You don't have to be nervous.”

They both made eye contact and smiled slightly. For a brief moment, Hiccup noticed she had dimples. But then she blinked and shook herself, closing the door with a curt "Goodnight."

Well then…

Hiccup continued on his way to the showers, beaming the entire way.

This night had just redeemed itself.

 

-/-

 

Stepping up onto deck, he smiled at the warming sunset. The sky was ablaze with purples, oranges and pinks; one of the most beautiful sceneries, he headed closer to where he could hear voices and to his surprise, saw the gang of teenagers. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Astrid, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. They were all there and by the looks of it, enjoying themselves.

Hiccup's breath hitched as he looked towards Astrid again. She stood directly in front of the sun, causing her blonde hair to glow like a halo. The bits of metal on her blue coat and jeans glistened from the light. She had never looked more beautiful until this moment.

Something unidentifiable settled into his chest as realization dawned on him.

Astrid wasn't just some honorable actress.

Astrid wasn't some random pretty girl.

Hiccup was really… He was _really_ -

The blonde glanced over his way and her eyes widened when she caught sight of him. Despite this, Hiccup didn't falter.

Oh so slowly, she gazed back into his eyes. Time stopped as they scrutinized one another, reading each other’s eyes and memorizing every small detail.

He suddenly felt a deep connection to her.

Their long stare held even as Snotlout perked up, "Astrid? What're y-" He followed her line of eyesight and immediately frowned when he saw who exactly was catching Astrid's attention. "Okay, Hiccup, no one invited you to this party." He strode over as the twins snickered and started to push the smaller brunette away. "Go on."

Hiccup opened his mouth to protest, glancing at Astrid once more who merely nodded and turned her head away to the open waters.

"Okay, I'm going." He muttered as he shoved Snotlout's larger hands away.

 

-/-

It was amazing for one day to be admiring someone from afar and suddenly the next to actually talk to said person. To talk, interact, laugh and just generally become close with that person.

She was the closest thing to a best friend he ever had.

Hiccup smiled and found himself drawing that night in bed. He let himself go and watched as his left hand sketched away. A person came into view, and with a few more detailed lines, he saw it was a woman.

Once he was finished, he held his book up into the lamplight and chuckled despite himself.

It was Astrid.

-/-

 

"I didn't know you could draw."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's just a side hobby for me, you know."

Hiccup's rubbed his sweaty hands down his pants. It was disgusting but he really couldn't help it. Astrid was in his room. His room!

She flipped another page in his sketchbook and personally, he didn't know why she was so interested in it. The book was mainly full of designs for the workshop and doodles of random things, nothing more.

"Have you ever thought about designing weapons?" She asked abruptly.

Hiccup shrugged as he leaned further back against the opposite wall. He recalled all the bland Viking weapons in his book –currently hidden under all his clothes- and would occasionally imagine more complicated and helpful weapon supplements.

Speaking of weapons, Hiccup hadn't seen Astrid carry her axe with her since the first day they met. She probably kept it in her room. (That would be the obvious answer).

"Sometimes." He answered simply and let his eyes roam around, not really looking at anything in particular.

Aside from the sound of thin pages turning, silence filled the room.

Suddenly, she gasped sharply and so quietly that Hiccup was surprised he heard her at all.

"What is this?"

He raised an eyebrow and waited until she finally held up the book and Hiccup could now see that it was- Oh man.

Oh man! Oh hell! She was not supposed to see that. He inwardly smacked himself for forgetting that he'd drawn a picture of Astrid, and just a few nights ago too!

"Um, uh, okay, yeah," He ran over quickly and yanked the book away from her, ignoring her protests. "That was just um..." His movements were jerky as he stuffed the damned thing back into his tiny dresser and near stumbled over it in his hurry. "Nothing! Yeah, nothing at all! Just…" Hiccup groaned and looked away, "I'm an idiot."

An awkward silence filled the room this time. The brunette didn't even look up at the sound of her footsteps coming closer, though his body did tense. He barely knew Astrid! Everything she did was unpredictable.

She stopped right in front of him and he stared at her tapping foot before hearing her sigh. "First of all, Hiccup, look at me."

Slowly, he glanced up at her. She didn't appear angry – Thank God - but she didn't exactly look happy either, more… contemplation than anything else. When she grabbed his hand, Hiccup froze rigid stiff. This was the first time ever they had actually made physical contact.

"Second of all," Astrid asserted again, drawing his lingering attention. "You're not an idiot. But you are a little weird."

His frown deepened. "Er, thanks, I guess."

"And you know what else?"

Hiccup's eyes widened as she brought her other hand up to palm his freckled cheek.

"I think you're amazing."

Before he could reply, her soft lips were pressed to his own. His eyes bugged out and his mind was a jumbled traffic of thoughts.

Astrid was _kissing_ him!

He'd never been kissed before!

So this is how it felt…

Only for a moment, he wondered why she was doing something as intimate as this but then firmly pushed it into the back of his head.

His body gradually relaxed, he let his eyes slip close and melted into her while she continued to stroke his cheek and their fingers entwined.

So, all those fairytales he'd read as a kid were right. Dreams do come true.


	5. Chapter 5

The massive boat ploughed through the waves as Astrid stepped onto the deck. The chilly night air brushed against her, cooling her muscles. Ignoring it, she merely tightened her coat around her and looked up. Even in the dark, she could see the thick figure of Snotlout leaning on the railing.

With a sigh, she stepped onto the platform and took a stand beside him. He didn’t react to her presence – a first for everything. But, Astrid was a patient woman and waited silently, staring at the black horizon. Even though Snotlout was annoying as all hell, she still considered him a friend. Barely. More of an acquaintance, really.

“I’m finished. It’s over for me, Astrid.”

 She glanced at him quizzically, having no idea what he was talking about. However, she could guess that he had a not so lovely chat with Stoick. Reaching out, she swiped the old map from his limp fingers. “How’d you think this would end, Snotlout?”

He said nothing. The blonde shrugged mentally and studied the brown parchment in her hands. It was very old indeed and everything upon it was drawn in black ink. A section of text in the corner caught her attention and under further inspection, she realized it was Old Norse. She gave the silent man beside her a bewildered look. Where the hell did Snotlout learn to read Norse? The only place she’d seen it before was in her films, and even then she didn’t understand a word. Slowly, she rotated the paper and narrowed her eyes at an odd-looking smudge of ink.

“What is that?”

“What?” He sounded distracted as he stared absently out at sea.

Astrid brought the map closer and her stomach tightened as she stared at a drawing of a _monster’s_ face. The marking was complete black, except for its hollow eyes. A salamander-shaped head with sharp, razor teeth. She wanted to say it almost looked like a dragon, but none like she had ever seen. Beneath the disturbing image was writing she had no hope of understanding.

“That.” She whispered and handed it out to him insistently, “That right there.”

“I don’t know. What is it – a coffee stain?” Snotlout glared at her in mild annoyance and yanked it back into his grasp. She watched intently as his eyes slowly widened and an intrigued looked dawned on his face.

The strange smudge-like marking captivated him for a long moment. Then, he lifted his head slowly and stared into space. “The Unholy Offspring of Lightening and Death itself...”

Astrid wrinkled her nose in confusion, “ _What_?”

A sudden blast from the boat’s fog horn caused her to flinch. A huge bank of fog suddenly appeared ahead of them, as if melting out from the darkness. A horrible feeling settled into her chest, she didn’t even notice as a gust of wind plucked the map from Snotlout’s hands and whirled it out to sea, forever. Another blast from the horn echoed loudly across the ocean. Goosebumps erupted down her body and the hairs on the back of her neck erected. She took note that she wasn’t the only one staring uneasily into the thickening fog. More members of the crew stood on deck, glancing around warily.

A bit of commotion up ahead immediately caught her attention.

“Another reading!”

“Twenty-two fathoms!”

They were looking for sea-bed. She looked up in alarm as a few men rushed past her, hurrying to their positions.

“What the hell is going on?” She whispered with gritted teeth to Snotlout, who only walked away from her, to the front of the ship. _Great_.

The boat continued to sail forward, deeper into the thick cloud. Survival instincts were screaming at her; this wasn’t right. This was _very_ bad. She snapped her eyes upwards at the sound of a boyish scream. “A WALL! THERE’S A WALL AHEAD!”

Time seemed to slow. She narrowed her eyes. The fog began to clear just enough to show a two-hundred foot rock wall looming into the skies and the ship continued to sail directly towards it. Astrid stared in awe and horror at the vast structure towering over them even as a sense of dread filled her veins. Beneath her feet, she could feel the ship slowing down, but it wasn’t enough. The weight still carried it forward, closer to the monstrous rock. Quickly, she clutched the railing desperately and braced herself for impact. There was nothing else she could do.

Her whole world froze completely before the bow of the ship crashed into the wall with a sickening crunch.

-/-

Hiccup rushed out of his room and stumbled out onto the deck. He stared in alarm at the men scrambling everywhere in panic. What in the world was happening?! He’d been in bed, sketching contently when the entire room suddenly shook violently and threw him forward. He was just lucky he didn’t crack his skull open when he made impact with the floor.

“Rocks!”

He looked up in fright – that sounded like Astrid! Quickly, he hurried up the metal stairs and followed the sound of her voice.

More crewmen were now yelling, “Rocks to starboard! To port! Rocks everywhere!”

Pausing, he stared in terror to see that they were indeed trapped amid a labyrinth of jutted rocks, each as tall as the ship itself, some even bigger. The ship lolled without control into a heavy swell. The pounding throb of the engines tried to regain strength of the ship beneath his feet, but still without adequate strength.

A hard jostle sent him careening off balance and, ironically, right into Astrid’s side.

She spun to him in surprise, “Hiccup!” He wanted to say her tone sounded relieved.

He didn’t even have a chance to reply, he glanced up in horror as the side of the ship scraped against a gigantic rock. The impact sent them into a slow spin and as the ship sunk in the trough of a wave, more rocks emerged from the water surrounding it.

Astrid wrapped her arms around him the midst of it all and Hiccup subconsciously held her just as tightly. In a moment of brief calmness, they made eye contact before a sudden loud groan of metal made them wince and stumble, slipping down the metal flooring. Hiccup grunted and clawed at a railing for support, stilling clutching Astrid against his side. The ship ran aground giant hidden rocks and finally came to a scraping halt, firmly stuck to a piece of rock twice the boat’s size. They were finally able to breathe again. Silently, they let go of each other and glanced around at the slowing chaos.

Snotlout stared up ahead at an eerie silhouette of – an island, visible through the thinning fog. Hiccup gasped and stepped closer, eyes wide with awe and disbelief as he leaned forward. From this point, he could see the shoreline, full of crumbling ruins that clung to barren cliffs. Along the entire land, stretching across and almost splitting it in half, was a gigantic wall.

-/-

Wind whistled past them, a creepy moaning sound that clashed with the deep booming of crashing waves. The dim light of the sun shone upon their small row boat. In the front, Snotlout had his camera rolling and was recording every detail possible. Hiccup had honestly forgotten about the film; he knew that the group worked on it during the trip, yet he wasn't involved one bit. Internally, he scoffed. He still wasn't sure why he even came along if his cousin didn't even want him apart of the movie. But... it was his father's decision. Not Snotlout's. Maybe this entire thing was just a test to see if Hiccup was even capable to listen correctly and follow commands without screwing up in the process.

He started nibbling on his lip as he thought of his father.  The man didn’t even know that they were doing this. The group didn’t ask for permission, only stolen the small boat while the crew busied themselves with the job of getting the ship un-stuck. So, technically, Hiccup wasn’t really disobeying his father if he didn’t give any orders in the first place. He was just… going behind his back and doing something he probably shouldn’t be doing. No harm in that, right?

And if he were to be honest with himself, the curiosity to explore this island was just itching and nagging at the back of his mind, propelling him to get onto the boat when it was offered. Feeling melancholy, he glanced over his shoulder at the shrinking ship in the distance, wondering if his father knew he was gone yet and if he would be worried. Or would he be annoyed? Indifferent?

Hell, he had barely even seen his father since he first arrived on the ship. He didn’t know if the man was just that busy or if he was intentionally avoiding him..

Hiccup broke those thoughts and glanced up nervously as they ran onto a tiny, stony beach and clambered out. Snotlout didn’t even pause – he hurried on, carrying his camera and leading them to a dark, vast tunnel. The group stared in utter silence at the primitive signs of an ancient civilization. Hiccup’s eyes widened as they stepped onto a huge rocky staircase, taking in the sight of human skulls lining the walls.

Quick as a flash, he reached down and grabbed Astrid’s hand and squeezed it for comfort. To his relief, she didn’t pull away.

Breaking daylight streamed up ahead of the stairs, illuminating their path. Quiet and tense –Except for Snotlout, who seemed to be glowing in excitement-, they made their way over large stone blocks, caved in from above. After a bit of climbing, they looked below to see a village of some sort; full of ancient, crumbling, tiny ruins and huts.

Snotlout continued to lead them on. Fishlegs looked around at the smashed, stone huts, covered in dead bamboo. “It’s deserted.” His voice was unnerved.

“Of course it’s deserted. Use your eyes, Fishlegs. The place is a ruin! Nobody’s lived here for hundreds of years!” He stopped cranking the camera and gave it off to a nameless soldier to carry, eyes shifting around the cold area in deep satisfaction.

A negative feeling was bothering the back of Hiccup’s head as they stepped down into the ruins. He felt as if someone was watching him, like a predator about to pounce on their prey. Ever-so-slowly, Hiccup let Astrid's hand slip away. He admitted it was a bit embarrassing for him to seek reassurance, when _she_ didn't seem scared in the least. Wary, yes. But not scared.

In that moment, he suddenly heard the distant sound of a child sobbing. He jumped and frantically looked around. He knew he wasn't insane and just hearing things as the rest of the group searched the surroundings with gasps and wide eyes as well. The ruins seemed to close in on him. The child's cries echoed all around, chilling his bones and sending shivers down his spine.

He wanted to turn back, oh god did he want to turn back.

He spun sharply as Snotlout yelped in surprise, and saw him staring with disbelief down a dusty path. There, in between two huts was a small dark-skinned child. A little girl.

Time stopped.

Together, they slowed to a halt and stared right back at the child as she glared darkly at them with feral eyes. No one moved a muscle.

The child slowly raised one arm towards the group, they watched the appendage with a bated breath – She pointed and flicked her wrist sporadically.

Hiccup took a sharp intake of breath in this suspended moment and stepped closer to his cousin to whisper into his ear, “Snotlout, I think we should go.”

However, the other only raised his hand to dismiss the worry and took a step forward, “I’ll handle this.”

Hiccup scowled and wanted to scream, ‘ _No! No, you can **not** handle this_.’ His annoyance was only driven more as Snotlout pulled a half-eaten chocolate bar from his pocket and waved it around with a smile as he edged closer to the savage.

“Look, chocolate! You like chocolate, hm?”

The girl stayed silent, not even twitching as Snotlout drew nearer. Her black eyes drilled into him.

Hiccup’s heart started pounding painfully in his chest. He watched the scene, perplexed. That tingling feeling returned on the back of his neck, as if he were being intently hunted.  

He clenched his fingers as another problem nicked at his brain; if there was a child, where were her _parents_?

He barely noticed when rain started slowly dripping from the skies.

Snotlout continued on with a sickeningly sweet smile, “It’s good to eat! Yeah, you want it?”

_Pitter. Patter._

The child held her ground until Snotlout came to a stop in front of her and tapped the bar against her knuckles. “Take it.”

No response. The rain fell harder.

“Here, put it in your hand and take it!” He finally grabbed her by the wrist and attempted to push the chocolate into her hand. Immediately, the child started to struggle and scream. In the midst of it, she gripped his wrist tightly and continued to pull. Snotlout grunted and tried to yank his hand away, to no prevail.

“For God sake, Snotlout, leave the native alone!” Tuffnut yelled.

Ruffnut nodded beside him and added, “She doesn’t want the chocolate!”

After a short wrestle, she dragged his hand closer to her mouth and sunk her teeth into the flesh. Snotlout bellowed and released his grip, cradling his wrist to his chest. The little girl hissed at him before scurrying off into the shadows. He groaned under his breath and ran off after her with rage – only to skid to a stop to see her in the arms of an old woman. Together, they hissed and growled viciously at him.

The group started to walk backwards nervously, surrounding them were faces of women and old natives, bleeding out of the shadows, all staring at them in fright and caution.

The air grew tense while the water felt chilling on Hiccup’s face. Snotlout gestured around impatiently, trying to sound brave. “It’s alright! It’s just a bunch of women and old folks… they’re harmless!”

Hiccup looked up, startled, as Tuffnut suddenly lurched beside him with a gasp. The blonde man turned toward him, staring at him helplessly with wide eyes. Time paused. Then he just as quickly fell face forward, a jagged spear stuck through his back and popping out of his chest, covered in blood and strings of flesh. Somewhere behind him, Ruffnut gasped–

Hiccup staggered away from the dead corpse and screamed loudly in horror, alerting the entire crew. A moment later, a rumbling, bestial _roar_ filled the village in response to Hiccup’s echoing cry. Jaw hanging open, Hiccup could only gape up at the wall that separated the village from the rest of the island, listening to the loud bellow of rage. For a brief moment, everyone froze.

His mind was completely gone – Tuffnut’s blood was pooling at his feet and a monster had just cried out to him – what was he to even think.

Abruptly, 20 or more native men emerged from _nowhere_ and before anyone could react, they were all roughly shoved and pulled into a midst of a furious mob of savages. In the shadows, the women and elderly started to rock and wail.

Everything moved in slow motion. Hiccup could only stare as their group was pulled apart: Ruffnut sobbed like a dying animal, not even putting up a fight as she was held back by a native. Fishlegs was thrown to the ground by several men, a spear held against his neck. Astrid pulled him close to her side and Hiccup didn’t fight it. She yelled nonsense to the surrounding villagers and kept her arms wrapped around him protectively.

It is for naught; Hiccup was wrenched from her grasp and he struggled blindly against his captors.

“Hiccup!”

His arms were confined uncomfortably behind his back and he stared as the same old woman from before moved through the midst of the chaos, her piercing gaze fixed on him. She muttered a chant, eyes burning into his soul.

Snotlout screamed in the distance with rage as he was dragged away by two of the natives.

One of the sailors was shoved forward onto the ground, his head pushed against a flat stone slab. He shrieked and struggled, but a savage swiftly lifted a club into the air and brought it down onto his head. His weak struggling went limp and blood flowed with the rain. The natives cheered and wailed in victory.

The old woman continued to scream at Hiccup. Her curses rose with hysterics.

_“Larri yu sano korê ... Kweh yonê_

_kah‘weh ad-larr ... torê Fury.”_

Astrid struggled, fists flying – she was clubbed from behind and dropped to the ground like a stone. The last thing she saw before her vision blurred and darkened was the black hollow eyes of a skull.

Hiccup’s eyebrows knitted together, he was forced to stare at the woman as she stalked closer and closer. The villager’s laughter and his friend’s screams resounded in his ears.

_“kah‘weh ad-larr_

_torê Fury.”_

Snotlout punched out a native futilely, they hauled him forward and thrust his head onto the blood splattered stone.

_“torê Fury.”_

The little girl stood beside the old woman, her eyes glaring, breaking him.

Snotlout stared in horror, whimpering and choking. Blood dripped down his face from the club, blood beneath him. _Red everywhere_ -

The native raised the spiked weapon into the air.

Hiccup’s eyes were wide. The rain felt frozen.

The woman hissed at him – a _promise_.

The club swung down.

... a gunshot.

The natives hesitated momentarily in stunned silence, watching as their comrade fell to the ground, blood seeping from his stomach. Then, everyone screamed and began to scatter away in blind panic.

Hiccup was dropped and collapsed to his numb knees, still staring blankly where the old woman once stood. A deep sob escaped his throat, his hand quickly slapped over his mouth and he willed himself to not scream and _scream_.

Stoick and an armed group of sailors raced into the village, pointing their guns at the fleeing savages.

“D-Dad?” Hiccup whispered and with all his strength, he pushed himself off the ground, nearly slipping, “DAD!”

 Stoick roughly hauled Snotlout to his feet, who only gazed at him, emotionless. Gobber hobbled forward and picked up the unconscious Astrid into his arms, mindful of her bleeding head wound.

Hiccup crashed into his father’s huge chest – _safety_. Tears ran down his already wet cheeks as he nuzzled his face as close as humanly possible in his father’s shirt.

Stoick placed an arm around him, letting the appendage rest heavily on his trembling shoulders. He glared back over to the still and silent Snotlout.

 “Seen enough?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops I killed Tuffnut. He won't be the only main character to die of course. :3 MWHUAHAHA


End file.
